Guardian
by Revhead
Summary: Break room conversations between Guardian Angels as they talk about the humans in their charge. AU, hints of Destiel. Cas/Gabriel friendship


**Guardian**

Night had fallen across the east coast of America and the break room at Guardian Headquarters, US Division, was beginning to fill up with angels coming off shift.

"Another boring day," Gabriel sighed, snagging a candy bar off the table and kicking his feet up. "My kid spent the entire day in the _library._ There were no near misses, not even something as simple as a sharp page trying to give him a papercut. I swear, I was half tempted to knock over a bookshelf just so I would have something to do!"

Anna batted Gabriel's feet off her chair. "It goes against our mandate to put our charges at risk," she scolded him.

Gabriel waved a careless hand. "He would have been fine. He's got annoyingly fast reflexes. A ball came whizzing straight for his head in the school yard last week and he caught it without even looking up from his book. I haven't had to pull any dramatic rescues in _ages._ "

"Quit your whining," Ezekiel said. "You should count yourself lucky that you've got such an easy charge. My guy's a police officer. Last week it was some punk kid with a knife, yesterday it was a high-speed car chase, today he was shot at. Only reason he didn't wind up with a bullet through his head is because I tripped him up, and he was cussing the whole way home about his skinned hands. As if not being able to hold his gun for a couple of days is a fate far worse than death."

"Ungrateful ponce," Balthazar said. "We've all been there, mate. I've lost count of the number of times I've had to convince a barkeep to water down his vodka before my kid gives herself alcohol poisoning. She wakes up with the worst hangovers, swears she'll never drink again, and the next weekend it starts all over."

"It's a faze, she'll get over it," Hannah told him. "Mine was the same a few years ago. Now I'm just trying to make sure she's not so sleep deprived from the baby keeping her up all night that she walks into the sliding door when she goes to hang out the washing."

Balthazar's eyebrows shot up. "You let her get pregnant?"

Hannah swatted the back of his head. "What do you take me for? She's married. I steered her towards a nice young man with a stable job who's taking good care of her. Which reminds me, Rachel-"

She smiled. "He popped the question this morning. Took her on a hot air balloon to watch the sunrise. There were supposed to be some unfortunate winds but I took care of it – the whole thing went off without a hitch."

There was a chorus of congratulations around the table.

"There's another success story for you, Balthazar," Hannah said. "Rachel's boy was in a motorcycle gang before she set him up with that sweet innocent thing from Atlantic City."

"Did he stop riding those death machines?" Esther asked hopefully. "I feel like I'm always manipulating traffic so mine doesn't get side-swiped or worse by drivers who don't check their mirrors enough. Last week I made him have engine trouble to steal a bit of respite, but the bike came back from the mechanic's on Monday." She sighed and rubbed at her shoulder. "I think I'm getting wing-sprain."

"Need a massage?" Gabriel asked with a broad grin.

Esther flicked the tip of her wing in his face, causing him to reel backwards and almost fall out of his chair. "That answer your question?"

The chuckles around the table were interrupted by the door banging open. An angel in a battered tan trench coat flopped heavily into the closest chair and dropped his head into his hands. His dark hair was drenched in sweat, making it curl at the nape of his neck, his feathers were twisted and bent and one of his wings drooped awkwardly onto the floor. He looked like he had fought his way out of a hurricane.

"Rough day, Cassie?" Gabriel asked.

The newcomer grunted.

The other angels exchanged glances. Hannah stood up to pour him a cup of coffee and pushed the cup at him. "Here, looks like you could use it," she said sympathetically.

He raised his head to offer her a weak smile and curled his hands around the warm mug. "Don't suppose we have anything stronger?"

Esther winced. "That bad, huh?"

"I'm exhausted," he confessed. He sipped at his drink and let his eyes flutter closed. He looked about ready to fall asleep at the table – and angels weren't supposed to need sleep.

"This is the first time we've seen you in here all week," Anna said, frowning. "Haven't you been taking your breaks?"

"Haven't had the chance."

"Castiel, you know the rules. When they sleep, you go on break. You'll run yourself ragged otherwise."

"I know. This is the first time he's slept. Last time he tried I had to wake him up again because there was a hex bag hidden in his pillow."

"Didn't he start the witch hunt last Wednesday?"

Castiel nodded tiredly. "He only managed to kill the last of the coven an hour ago. He was running on fumes by the end of it."

Balthazar gave a low whistle. "Boy am I glad I didn't get assigned to a hunter. How many times have you had to save his life?"

"Balthazar, I don't even remember how many times I've had to save his life _this week_. He attracts more trouble than any human I've ever known, and when he's not in trouble he goes looking for it. When Mary Winchester prayed for an angel to watch over her son, I saw a cute little boy with innocent green eyes and a flop of blonde hair and I thought it was going to be my easiest assignment yet. Then she died and ever since that night, it has taken every ounce of skill and strength I possess to keep that boy alive."

"I guess I got the easier brother," Gabriel said. "Sam was more than willing to jump at the chance to go to college when I arranged for that scholarship for him."

"As long as his father is hunting, Dean won't even consider giving it up. And even if he wasn't concerned with keeping his father safe, there will always be people in need of saving. He won't abandon them."

"It is impossible to save everyone," Ezekiel said. "Every guardian here knows that."

"He knows that, too. But it won't stop him from trying."

"So while he's running around recklessly trying to protect every poor sod who stumbles into the path of a monster, you're supposed to fly after him and make sure he doesn't get himself killed."

Castiel took another long sip of his coffee. "That about sums it up," he sighed.

"Maybe you should apply to have a second guardian assigned to his case," Hannah suggested. "You could alternate shifts, get some proper rest."

Castiel shook his head. "It's fine, I can handle it. Besides, if I wasn't watching him over him constantly I think I would be more stressed than I already am."

Gabriel smirked. "Aw, Cassie doesn't want to share."

"I made a promise to his mother, that's all."

"Uh huh. Face it, Cassie, you _like_ him."

"I admire his courage and his convictions. He's alright, as far as humans go."

Anna frowned. "If you are becoming too close to the human in your charge-"

Castiel flashed a glare towards Gabriel. "I respect him for the work he does. It is nothing more."

"If you are certain."

"I am."

Anna's gaze lingered on him for a few moments longer before she nodded.

The break room settled back into a buzz of general conversation – one angel had prevented an alarm clock from going off so his charge wouldn't be on the bus that would be involved in a collision, another pulled a plug from the wall before her charge dropped her hair dryer in the sink full of water, another made sure his charge's phone battery died before he could step blithely into oncoming traffic.

Castiel nursed his coffee quietly, the glazed look in his eyes testament to how tired he was. But barely five minutes had passed before he suddenly snapped back to attention and stood up. "I have to go."

"What? Why?"

"Dean is having a nightmare."

Balthazar rolled his eyes. "Oh come on, Cas, I'm sure Dean can cope for one night. You need your rest."

There was a stubborn set to Castiel's jaw. "So does he, and he isn't going to get it if he's dreaming about the fire that killed his mother. One of the witches threw a burning hex bag at him that caught his clothes alight. I snuffed it out quickly but I should have known he'd have a flashback."

"Castiel, you can't coddle him," Ezekiel said.

"His father is going to call him in four hours with a lead on a werewolf case. If he doesn't get some sleep now, his reflexes will be dulled and he'll end up with his heart ripped out of his chest. I'm going." He stared defiantly at them all, daring anyone to disagree with him. When no one did, he turned on his heel and left in a flare of feathers.

"Kid's got it bad," Gabriel muttered under his breath. But he excused himself from the break room, checked briefly on Sam who was snoring softly next to his girlfriend, perfectly content, and then flew off to Wisconsin to give John Winchester a hand with the werewolf in Dean's stead.

When the job was done, he fluttered into Dean's motel room, briefly startling Cas who was sitting at his bedside. "I bought you a few more hours," he reported. "I'm sure Dean will go looking for his own hunt when he wakes up, but you're good for now."

Castiel stared at him. "You didn't have to do that."

Gabriel shrugged. "I was bored."

Castiel wore a knowing look but didn't call him on it. "Thank you."

Gabriel nodded and turned to leave. He glanced back over his shoulder and saw the gentle way Cas brushed a strand of hair off Dean's forehead. His expression was soft, his dedication absolute.

Cas always did have too much heart. It was going to get him in trouble someday, but Gabriel knew there wasn't a force on Heaven or Earth capable of tearing him away from Dean Winchester.

Gabriel made a silent vow to look out for them both, and left Cas to it.


End file.
